Chunky Pig Popcorn

Chunky Pig is a local popcorn maker.  I eat a lot of popcorn, so that isn't particularly novel.  But they don't just make popcorn, they make caramel corn.  Ok, again, not particularly novel.  But ... they don't make just any caramel corn, they make candied bacon caramel corn, available with or without peanuts.

I love caramel corn, I love bacon, so this sounded too good to be true.  I was overjoyed when I got a sample bag.  You can find Chunky Pig around San Francisco at speciality grocery stores, and apparently in Portland, too.  The caramel corn is gluten-free and dairy-free, if that matters to you.  The other ingredients are quality, they use real Vermont maple syrup and Niman Ranch candied bacon.  But ... I sadly didn't love it.

Candied Bacon Caramel Corn.

The popcorn was sweet, as you'd expect from caramel corn.  It was also very salty due to the bacon, a combination I always like.  The bacon wasn't visible, but it was surely there, the flavor not subtle at all.  The kernels were all well coated.

Flavor-wise, it was good.  Popcorn coating-wise, it was good.  But ... the kernels were soft, and not crispy or crunchy.  I put it in the freezer, and it was much better after it froze a bit (which actually, I always like my caramel corn better frozen, try it sometime!)

This was almost awesome, but not quite.